US officials are announcing that some recent drone strikes are the result of information provided by a senior ISIS operative involved in chemical weapons which the military allegedly captured three weeks ago. This detainee was kept secret in order to ensure possible targets would be caught by surprise and for the safety of civilians and troops.

The US military believes this ISIS operative is crucial to understanding and eradicating the dangerous chemical weapons wing of the terrorist organization. He was captured by the Expeditionary Targeting Forces, a recently deployed group of around two hundred special operations troops in Iraq who gather intelligence and pursue ISIS operatives on the ground.

The intelligence community has been tracking confirmed chemical attacks by ISIS and a powdered mustard agent is what ISIS appears to be using. There have been twelve confirmed cases of the mustard agent being used in both Syria and Iraq, the most recent being a month ago. Since the agent was used in artillery shells US officials are downplaying the chemical aspect, believing the deaths were a result of the artillery and not the mustard agent.

With the threat of chemical weapons being a continuous threat, expect more strikes and the Expeditionary Targeting Forces to enter Syria as well.